St. Euphrosynia Parish History

St. Euphrosynia Orthodox Church is named after St. Euphrosynia or Euphrosyne of Polatsk (1110-1173), the patron saint of Belarus.  The origins of the parish community can be traced back to the Displaced Persons camps of post-war Germany. The horrors of Soviet repression forced Belarusian Orthodox clergy and believers to flee the onslaught of the Red Army and seek refuge in the West. Before coming to the United States, parishioners came together and worshiped in Regensburg, Michelsdorf and Baknang, Germany. Those, who were able to immigrate to the United States, gravitated towards the places with established Belarusian communities, one of them being in South River, New Jersey. In 1951, the parish received its charter from the state of New Jersey and a parish council was elected, with Father Mikalaj Lapitzki being its first pastor.

The initial group of parishioners, lacking sufficient funds, asked a local Christian community for help with a place for its first worship services. The Conklin Methodist Church, led by Rev. G. Nelson Moore, allowed our community to use the second floor of their building. The Church Council also petitioned to be accepted into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. With time, the parish managed to collect enough funds in order to purchase or build a permanent home, and in 1953 purchased a former Jewish Synagogue on Whitehead Avenue and converted it into a church (see the clip from The Central New Jersey Home News, Thu, Oct 8, 1953 Page 2), which was consecrated on October 8, 1953, by Archbishop Michael (Konstantinides), the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 1949-1958.

At about this same time, the Church acquired a piece of land on Hillside Avenue for the parish cemetery.

When the membership grew, it was agreed that the parish needed a larger church, a parish hall, and a rectory. After a few years of hard work, the parish was able to purchase from the Borough of South River a plot of vacant land at the current location. It took another few years of hard work of many volunteers, as well as the generosity of the parishioners , until the project was completed in 1972.

Consecration of the church in 1972.

 

 

 

 

St Euphrosynia Church prior to the building of the rectory to the left of the church. 

 

 

 

 

The Parish property today.

The clergy, who served the parish over the years are:

1951-1975 - Fr. Mikalaj Lapitzki.

 

 

2003-2006 - Fr. Stavros Rousos (+2022)

 

 

 

2006-2015 - Fr. Michael Psenechnuk (+2020)

 

 

 

2016-current - Fr. Konstantin Gavrilkin.

 

 

Sources:

• Vitali Cierpicki, History, building of Belarus Greek Orthodox Church of St. Euphrosynia in South River, NJ (South River, N.J.: Belarussain Press, 1999). On occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Church of St. Euphrosynia of Polotsk in South River.

• St. Euphrosynia Byelorussian Orthodox Church, 1950-1975. Pamëiìa︡tnaëi︠ìa︡ kniha, 1950-1975 (South River, N.J.: Byelorussian Press, 1975)